گاه نقشش دیو و گه آدم کند ** گاه نقشش شادی و گه غم کند

Now He makes the picture thereon (one of) the Devil, now (of) Adam; now He makes the picture thereon (one of) joy, now (one of) grief.

دست نه تا دست جنباند به دفع ** نطق نه تا دم زند در ضر و نفع‌‌

There is no power (to any one) that he should move a hand in defence; no (right of) speech, that he should utter a word concerning injury or benefit.

تو ز قرآن باز خوان تفسیر بیت ** گفت ایزد ما رميت إذ رمیت‌‌ 615

Recite from the Qur’án the interpretation of (i.e. a text which interprets) the (preceding) verse: God said, Thou didst not throw when thou threwest.

گر بپرانیم تیر آن نه ز ماست ** ما کمان و تیر اندازش خداست‌‌

If we let fly an arrow, that (action) is not from us: we are (only) the bow, and the shooter of the arrow is God.

این نه جبر این معنی جباری است ** ذکر جباری برای زاری است‌‌

This is not jabr (compulsion); it is the meaning of jabbárí (almightiness): the mention of almightiness is for the sake of (inspiring us with) humility.

زاری ما شد دلیل اضطرار ** خجلت ما شد دلیل اختیار

Our humility is evidence of necessity, (but) our sense of guilt is evidence of freewill.

گر نبودی اختیار این شرم چیست ** وین دریغ و خجلت و آزرم چیست‌‌

If there were not freewill, what is this shame? And what is this sorrow and guilty confusion and abashment?

زجر استادان و شاگردان چراست ** خاطر از تدبیرها گردان چراست‌‌ 620

Why is there chiding between pupils and masters? Why is the mind changing (so as to depart) from plans (already formed)?

ور تو گویی غافل است از جبر او ** ماه حق پنهان کند در ابر رو

And if you say that he (the assertor of free-will) takes no heed of the (Divine) compulsion, (and that) God's moon (majesty) hides its face (from him) in the cloud (of his own blindness),

هست این را خوش جواب ار بشنوی ** بگذری از کفر و در دین بگروی‌‌

There is a good answer to this; if you hearken, you will relinquish unbelief and incline towards the (true) religion.

حسرت و زاری گه بیماری است ** وقت بیماری همه بیداری است‌‌

Remorse and humility occur at the time of illness: the time of illness is wholly wakefulness (of conscience).

آن زمان که می‌‌شوی بیمار تو ** می‌‌کنی از جرم استغفار تو

At the time when you are becoming ill, you pray God to forgive your trespass;

می‌‌نماید بر تو زشتی گنه ** می‌‌کنی نیت که باز آیم به ره‌‌ 625

The foulness of your sin is shown to you, you resolve to come back to the (right) way;

عهد و پیمان می‌‌کنی که بعد از این ** جز که طاعت نبودم کار گزین‌‌

You make promises and vows that henceforth your chosen course (of action) will be nothing but obedience (to God):

پس یقین گشت این که بیماری ترا ** می‌‌ببخشد هوش و بیداری ترا

Therefore it has become certain that illness gives to you conscience and wakefulness.

پس بدان این اصل را ای اصل جو ** هر که را درد است او برده ست بو

Note, then, this principle, O thou that seekest the principle; every one who suffers pain has caught the scent (thereof):

هر که او بیدارتر پر دردتر ** هر که او آگاه‌‌تر رخ زردتر

The more wakeful any one is, the more full of suffering he is; the more aware (of God) he is, the paler he is in countenance.

گر ز جبرش آگهی زاریت کو ** بینش زنجیر جباریت کو 630

If you are aware of His jabr (compulsion), where is your humility? Where is your feeling of (being loaded with) the chain of His jabbárí (almightiness)?

بسته در زنجیر چون شادی کند ** کی اسیر حبس آزادی کند

How should one make merry who is bound in chains? When does the captive in prison behave like the man who is free?

ور تو می‌‌بینی که پایت بسته‌‌اند ** بر تو سرهنگان شه بنشسته‌‌اند

And if you consider that your foot is shackled (and that) the king's officers are sitting (as custodians) over you,

پس تو سرهنگی مکن با عاجزان ** ز آن که نبود طبع و خوی عاجز آن‌‌

Then do not act like an officer (tyrannously) towards the helpless, inasmuch as that is not the nature and habit of a helpless man.

چون تو جبر او نمی‌‌بینی مگو ** ور همی‌‌بینی نشان دید کو

Since you do not feel His compulsion, do not say (that you are compelled); and if you feel it, where is the sign of your feeling?

در هر آن کاری که میل استت بدان ** قدرت خود را همی‌‌بینی عیان‌‌ 635

In every act for which you have inclination, you are clearly conscious of your power (to perform it),

و اندر آن کاری که میلت نیست ** و خواست خویش را جبری کنی کاین از خداست‌‌

(But) in the act for which you have no inclination and desire, you make yourself a necessitarian, saying, “This is from God.”

انبیا در کار دنیا جبری‌‌اند ** کافران در کار عقبی جبری‌‌اند

The prophets are necessitarians in regard to the works of this world, (while) the infidels are necessitarians in regard to the works of the next world.

انبیا را کار عقبی اختیار ** جاهلان را کار دنیا اختیار

To the prophets the works of the next world are (a matter of) freewill; to the foolish the works of this world are (a matter of) freewill,

ز آن که هر مرغی به سوی جنس خویش ** می‌‌پرد او در پس و جان پیش پیش‌‌

Because every bird flies to its own congener: it (follows) behind, and its spirit (goes) before, (leading it on).

کافران چون جنس سجین آمدند ** سجن دنیا را خوش آیین آمدند 640

Inasmuch as the infidels were congeners of Sijjn (Hell), they were well-disposed to the prison (sijn) of this world.

انبیا چون جنس علیین بدند ** سوی علیین جان و دل شدند

Inasmuch as the prophets were congeners of ‘Illiyyín (Heaven), they went towards the ‘Illiyyín of spirit and heart.

این سخن پایان ندارد لیک ما ** باز گوییم آن تمامی قصه را

This discourse hath no end, but let us (now) relate the story to its completion.

نومید کردن وزیر مریدان را از رفض خلوت

How the vizier made the disciples lose hope of his abandoning seclusion.

آن وزیر از اندرون آواز داد ** کای مریدان از من این معلوم باد

The vizier cried out from within, “O disciples, be this made known to you from me,

که مرا عیسی چنین پیغام کرد ** کز همه یاران و خویشان باش فرد

That Jesus hath given me a such-like message: ‘Be separated from all friends and kinsfolk.

روی در دیوار کن تنها نشین ** وز وجود خویش هم خلوت گزین‌‌ 645

Set thy face to the wall, sit alone, and choose to be secluded even from thine own existence.’

بعد از این دستوری گفتار نیست ** بعد از این با گفت و گویم کار نیست‌‌

After this there is no permission (for me) to speak; after this I have nothing to do with talk.

الوداع ای دوستان من مرده‌‌ام ** رخت بر چارم فلک بر برده‌‌ام‌‌

Farewell, O friends! I am dead: I have carried my belongings up to the Fourth Heaven,

تا به زیر چرخ ناری چون حطب ** من نسوزم در عنا و در عطب‌‌

In order that beneath the fiery sphere I may not burn like firewood in woe and perdition,

پهلوی عیسی نشینم بعد از این ** بر فراز آسمان چارمین‌‌

(But) henceforth may sit beside Jesus at the top of the Fourth Heaven.”

ولی عهد ساختن وزیر هر یک امیر را جدا جدا

How the vizier appointed each one of the amírs separately as his successor.

و آن گهانی آن امیران را بخواند ** یک به یک تنها به هر یک حرف راند 650

And then he summoned those amírs one by one and conversed with each (of them) alone.

گفت هر یک را به دین عیسوی ** نایب حق و خلیفه‌‌ی من توی‌‌

He said to each one, “In the religion of Jesus thou art the vicar of God and my khalífa (vicegerent),

و آن امیران دگر اتباع تو ** کرد عیسی جمله را اشیاع تو

And those other amírs are thy followers: Jesus hath made all of them thy assistants.

هر امیری کو کشید گردن بگیر ** یا بکش یا خود همی‌‌دارش اسیر

Any amír who lifts his neck (in rebellion), seize him and either kill him or hold him captive;

لیک تا من زنده‌‌ام این وامگو ** تا نمیرم این ریاست را مجو

But do not declare this whilst I am alive: do not seek this supreme authority until I am dead.

تا نمیرم من تو این پیدا مکن ** دعوی شاهی و استیلا مکن‌‌ 655

Until I am dead, do not reveal this: do not lay claim to sovereignty and dominion.

اینک این طومار و احکام مسیح ** یک به یک بر خوان تو بر امت فصیح‌‌

Here is this scroll and the ordinances of the Messiah: recite them distinctly, one by one, to his people.”

هر امیری را چنین گفت او جدا ** نیست نایب جز تو در دین خدا

Thus he spoke to each amír separately, (saying), “There is no vicar in the religion of God except thee.”

هر یکی را کرد او یک یک عزیز ** هر چه آن را گفت این را گفت نیز

He honoured each, one by one, (in this way): whatever he said to that (amír) he also said to this.

هر یکی را او یکی طومار داد ** هر یکی ضد دگر بود المراد

To each he gave one scroll: every one was purposely the contrary of the other.

جملگی طومارها بد مختلف ** چون حروف آن جمله از یا تا الف‌‌ 660

The text of those scrolls was diverse; all were (different), like the letters from alif to yá.

حکم این طومار ضد حکم آن ** پیش از این کردیم این ضد را بیان‌‌

The rule (laid down) in this scroll was contrary to the rule in that: we have already explained (the nature of) this contradiction.

کشتن وزیر خویشتن را در خلوت

How the vizier killed himself in seclusion.

بعد از آن چل روز دیگر در ببست ** خویش کشت و از وجود خود برست‌‌

After that, he shut the door for other forty days (and then) killed himself and escaped from his existence.